
Biog
is a script and story editor.
She has worked for many years on feature films and TV series all over the world. She works on projects at all stages of development and has also worked on documentaries, animation, short films, audio and occasionally theatre. As well as working extensively in the UK she works all over the world; in one day during lockdown she worked with filmmakers in Vienna, Beirut, Tblisi and Maputo. She also works often with global indigenous filmmakers.
Recent films include TORNADO (in post, John MacLean); DREAMERS (in post, Joy Gharoro Akpojotor); WORKMATES (in post, Curtis Vowell); MR K (Toronto 2024, Talulah Schwab) SKY PEALS (Venice 2023); THE UNBORN BIRO (Sundance 2023); JE’VIDA (Tribeca 2023 and winner best script Helsinki Film Fest 22); feature doc FADIA’S TREE (London 22); HARKA (Cannes 22); MILLIE LIES LOW (Berlin and SXSW 2022); DO NOT HESITATE (Tribeca 2021); DREAM HORSE (Sundance 2020) BABY DONE (a NZ film that Jacinda Ardern said was her favourite of 2021); BENJAMIN by Simon Amstell; NUDE TUESDAY by Armagan Ballantyne; THE LAST TREE (Sundance 2019) by Shola Amoo; HOW TO FAKE A WAR by Rudolph Herzog; AMERICAN ANIMALS (Sundance 2018) by Bart Layton; PIN CUSHION by Deborah Haywood; feature doc KINGDOM OF US by Lucy Cohen.
TV credits include THE VALHALLA MURDERS (Netflix, Mystery & Truenorth in Iceland); I AM series1 (C4); BABYLON (C4) and comedies BUFFERING series 2 (ITV3) and HOFF THE RECORD (Dave, winner Int’l Emmy 2016). She is currently developing drama series with C4 and with Apple+.
Kate also often works with writers and filmmakers to develop story at early stages: these include LADY MACBETH Toronto & Sundance 2017; I AM NOT A WITCH by Rungano Nyoni, Cannes & London 2017; DARK RIVER by Clio Barnard, Toronto & London 2017. KINGDOM OF US, LADY MACBETH and I AM NOT A WITCH were all nominated for Best Outstanding Debut Bafta 2018.
She has been head of development at several companies including Film4, where she was based for 6 years and where she was part of the small team commissioning and developing some of the UK's most successful feature films including FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and TRAINSPOTTING. She developed ORPHANS, EAST IS EAST and GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, working with countless British writers and directors along the way. As head of development at sales agency Capitol Films she spotted LEAVING LAS VEGAS and THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, and worked with talent including Roman Polanski and William Boyd. She has also been a film agent; a TV presenter & producer; director of the Edinburgh TV Festival; Associate Director of Cinema at the ICA; a location caterer, a film festival programmer, a screenwriting lecturer, a film distributor and a cinema usherette.
Kate runs masterclasses and workshops for the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund, Helsinki Film Festival, IFFR, the Netherlands Film Festival, various parts of the BBC, the UK's National Film School, the Edinburgh Film Festival, the Sami Film Institute, Cyprus Film Days, Watershed in Bristol, ImagineNATIVE in Toronto, the BFI, the Norwegian National Film School in Oslo, Northern Ireland Screen, the London Film School, Bafta, the London Comedy Film Festival, BFI South Bank, Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam, Creative England, Guiding Lights, the Institute of Contemporary Art, The Guardian, the Arvon Foundation, and Film London Microwave. She’s also spoken about story at Adidas HQ in Germany, at the Wellcome Trust, and at London advertising agencies Blink, Stink and Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO. She gave the keynote address to women producers from all over Europe at PROPRO in Vienna.
She’s been a visiting lecturer at film schools all over the UK. She evaluates screenwriting courses for Skillset, film and TV projects for EU Media, and was external examiner at the London Film School for 3 years. She helped to establish and chaired the Wellcome Screenwriting Fellowship in partnership with the BFI and Film4.
Kate speaks regularly at festivals and industry events including Bafta, the London Comedy Film Festival, the Edinburgh Film Festival, BFI South Bank, Creative England, Guiding Lights, the Institute of Contemporary Art and Film London Microwave.
She has run talent labs and mentoring projects for filmmakers since 2009 and has organised masterclasses by filmmakers including Jane Campion, Mike Leigh, Sir Ronald Harwood, John Madden, Mogens Rukov, Kenneth Lonergan, and editor Pietro Scalia.
She has been on many film and screenwriting awards juries, chaired and taken part in panel discussions, presents the screenwriting award at the Moving Image Awards, chairs the BIFA Maverick award committee and shortlists short films for Bafta.